Friday, May 9, 2014

After thinking of Elizabeth Radford Evans as the silent correspondent who received the letters from her cousin Louise in upstate New York describing the life of an an 1840s woman and
of Elizabeth Radford Evans as an elderly woman, profiled for her memory of multiple presidential campaigns and up to date on current events; we have a few things written by Elizabeth herself which give us a hint as to who Elizabeth was. She might be busy with the chores of a mother and farm wife, but her mind was working too!

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At some point she was in a reading circle. There is no year included in her minutes for the meeting but the minutes themselves give a hint.

And it came to pass inthe 3d month on the 16th day thereofthat some members of the ReadingCircle met at the house of Gay whose surname is Buckingham. And the president said letorder prevail among you. And he further said as ourScribe is not with us, chooseye one who shall perform hisduties at this time, and themother of the absent scribe waschosen and she read unto themthe report of the last meetingand the members approved thereof. And the president read from the book wherin is written ofMexico and its conquest by theSpaniards. Then a recess was had, when

each held converse with his neigh-bor, and stories were repreatedthat the great temperance speaker told the day before. After a time more was readeven about some distinguishedpoets their manners and habitsand the scribe read of MissFlora McKlimsey who dwells inthe great city of Gotham andthough she owned 500 dresses stillhad nothing to wear. And after that the president said wewill now adjourn till the 29thday of this 3d month when wewill meet at the house of Georgewho dwelleth in the Straits andthey did so. E. H. Evans Scribe

I found a blog post about "the fictional 'Miss Flora McFlimsey of Madison Square' whose complaint was that she has 'nothing to wear.'" She first appeared in Harper's Weekly in the 7 February 1857 issue. The blog Secondat (Sunday 17 January 2010), includes the poem and magazine illustrations that date from 1857 to 1863 including Miss Flora McFlimsey. That poem dates that Reading Circle meeting to that era, when Elizabeth was a mother and farm wife raising children in Sherman -- in 1857, she has two children 6 and 4; by 1863, three children 12, 10, and 4 and yet finds time to go to twice monthly meetings of the Reading Circle.

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The family found poems she wrote and transcribed them to share among her descendants by typing them up using carbon paper.

-: OUR WANTS1 Man wants but little here below Nor want that little long Thus Goldsmith wrote long long ago But this is not my song2 Our wants are many more than I In a short time can tell And if you should not hear them all It were perhaps as well.3 A few of our most pressing wants To you I now will mention If for a little you will give To me a slight attention.4 We want the house of worship here Where we have met tonight All covered o’er with coats of paint To make it nice and white.

5 And to the windows we want blinds Put up wihen this is done To help exclude the winters cold And heat of summer sun.6 To pay for these we want the cash Greenbacks both new and old Stamps of Nationals will do And silver coin or gold.7 Kind friends we want that you tonight Shall give at least a score Of dollars toward this last great want We’ll find no fault with more.8 If with our exercises here You have been pleased then try To have the contribution now Your pleasure testify.9 But, if your weary of it all And wished you’d staid away Call it a humbug if you like But don’t forget to pay.Composed by Elizabeth Evans In year of 1862Greenwood Lake, Orange Co. N.Y.

Not sure why she was fundraising for a church in New York state, possibly visiting or vacationing. Greenwood Lake is across the Connecticut border and south of Sherman, down on the NY/NJ border.

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Poem Written by Grandmother Evans, found on the back of Y.M.C.A. Poster (no date)Wake up, turn over, yawn and sneeze The weathers changed -- my feet will freeze Oh dear, how thin the blankets are I wish I had another pair, But ere I could my wishes tell In Morpheus arms again I fell And neer before had such a train Of dreams passed through a troubled brain. I thought I wandered all alone Far northward in the Frigid zone The cold moon shone on all around And brightened up the snow-clad ground And still no sign of life was there And I was sinking in despair When my ear, distinctly fell The tinkling of a distant bell. and Lapplander with sledge and deer Upon that snow clad plane apprear But deaf is he to call and cry For alike the wind he passes by And I am left alone again. Whose turrets seem to touch the sky Rose to my view -- toward it I pressed Thinking her to find warmth and rest But turret high and heavy walls And spacious rooms and lengthly halls Were made of ice -- it might have been The plaything of the Russian Queen. No more a brilliant throng Of merry skaters sped along Now far apart -- now side by side they glide They move so swiftly and so light I think them spirits of the night I try to flee, theyre on my track They overtake and bring me back, Shivering I wake and leave the bed With chattering teeth and aching head, In haste I seek the warmth and light Made by the glowing anthracite.

Waking up on a cold winter mooring and ending with seeking the warmth and light of burning anthracite coal.

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Of course she wrote letters, but not many have survived, to my knowledge.

A letter written to Charles from his mother, no year given:

Dec 1My dear sonOne would have thought if you was doing New Haven you would have visited the land of “Your ancestors” They are in the crypt under the Center church. Edward has been there--- Alling & his wife and son Fitch Alling-my grandmother was Hannah Alling- married to Timothy Higgins. There daughter Harriet Higgins married Beers Radford, their daughter Elizabeth married Charles Evans so you see where you come in. I had written so much when I found my pen was dry so waited till Earl could fill it. He did that for me though some one else would do it as well. I dont remember the name of the first Alling neither did Edward so you will have to go to the Center church to find out.
[the rest of this letter is lost]

Here she is giving her son Charles H Evans the information on her ancestors who were settlers in New Haven, CT and where to find their tombs. Too bad the rest of the letter didn't survive.

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In a letter written to her 12-year-old granddaughter Alice Olmstead, she mentions her great granddaughter Marjorie Evans who was born 3 May 1913. So this letter was written on 3 May 1914, a year and a half before she died:

Sunday PM.My dear Alice, It is so good that you can write letter when your mother is busy or has a headache or anything else to hinder her and I was pleased to hear from Newtown as I already am. It is a lovely day. I roded down to the street when Edward took your aunt Kathleen to church I don’t go to meeting as it not possible to hear much of the service it tires me to listen so intensely. I presume E & L.W. & K and the baby have gone for a drive. It will do Mrs Edward a deal of good. She has been so confined and it has been such bad going the car has been out only a week but the ground is getting settled now.While I think of it did your mother find my kid gloves and comb when she was cleaning house I thought they would come from somewhere sometime Have you sowed Sweet peas yet? Edward has made no garden at allCharlie sent me arbutus yesterday and it scents the roomMarjorie is one year old to.day. I gave her a teaspoon, the boys a fork and her other grandmother a cup and grand mother Smith sent her a dollar. She is very well but has only three teeth.I am glad to hear uncle Alan is away and better. Of course he will be better if he gets away from old things and friendssomething new to think aboutYour mother says Wilbur isn’t well. He ought to work out in school but hates to give it up now this last terms but there is nothing like working out of doors in this season. So your father is a carpenter that is nice for him. Your mother washes, irons, bakes and sews as usual making old clothes look like new and I hope her children appreciate all the work she does for them.There is no news only Wooster has a car so K can go now. She wanted him to get one two years ago so she could drive it but had their business then.Love to all, from grandmother

This letter mentions various children and grandchildren. Now, one of her children is doing well enough to own a car in 1914, which she mentions casually along with the day-to-day nitty gritty. She does make a point of telling her granddaughter Alice to appreciate all her mother (Grace Evans Olmstead) does for her and her four siblings. She is showing her age, 89: she finds the church services tiring and hard to hear, but otherwise, she clearly is still on top of things mentally.

About Erica

Welcome to my blog on my adventures as I try to figure out my family's history. Over the years I've had some amazing adventures and met some wonderful people along the way. I keep looking for the stories behind the people (along with those names and dates) and I keep trying to find those women who weren't well documented in the past. I hope you'll enjoy what I post and if you want to contact me, send a note voolich@gmail.com.